Newsgroups: comp.robotics
Path: cantaloupe.srv.cs.cmu.edu!das-news2.harvard.edu!news2.near.net!howland.reston.ans.net!ix.netcom.com!netcom.com!nagle
From: nagle@netcom.com (John Nagle)
Subject: Re: Looking for a new way of locomotion
Message-ID: <nagleD6KwKH.Ipu@netcom.com>
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Date: Wed, 5 Apr 1995 20:21:53 GMT
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(Cyborg420) writes:
>Does anybody know any good ways of moving robot parts other than using
>Hydrolics and motors?  I'm looking to build a new robot that doesn't use
>common parts such as motors and Hydrolics(solonoids also included).  Any
>new methods, and all comments and suggestions greatly welcomed.

    It's "Hydraulics".

    Some other actuators:

	Pneumatic systems (these can now be servoed with consderable
		precision, but the valves for that are expensive)
	Shape-memory alloys (Stiquito uses these)
	Bimetallic strips (slow, but powerful)
	Air-driven bellows (cheap, but low-precision)
	Magnetic-particle clutches (fast and powerful)
	Linear motors (there are lots of types)
	Fluidic-controlled pneumatics (widely used in industry)
	Piezoelectric devices (not much travel, but fast)
	Electrostatic attraction/repulsion (useful for tiny machines)

There are also a number of minor effects that can be used to 
produce mechanical motion, such as magnostriction.  But
the list above covers most of the stuff that provides good 
power outputs.

					John Nagle

